Milwaukee Art Museum announces acquisition for AIDS Day

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The Milwaukee Art Museum has acquired a new work of art in recognition of World AIDS Day, which is today.

"Live HIV" by internationally recognized artist Taryn Simon, purchased with funds provided by philanthropist Joseph Pabst, will be placed on view on Dec. 1 each year to commemorate AIDS Day.

The photograph of a vial containing live HIV virus, taken in a research lab at Harvard University, is part of Simon's An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar series, which documents objects and places that are rarely seen by the public but play a significant role in public life.

Pabst said he was moved when he saw the work, included in a Taryn Simon retrospective at the Milwaukee Art Museum last year, and described it as a "stunning reminder of the millions of people who live with HIV, and those who have lost their battle."

The museum is also hosting a panel "HIV in 2012: Hidden and Unfamiliar" at 2 p.m. today featuring Ronald S. Johnson, vice president of policy and advocacy for AIDS United and Mike Gifford, president and CEO of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. The event is free and will be held in MAM's Lubar auditorium.

"I can think of no better way to highlight the continuing epidemic of HIV and AIDS than by publicly showcasing artwork that reminds us that our work is not done,” Pabst said in a museum statement.

It is estimated that over 34 million people worldwide are infected with HIV or AIDS, and over 30 million have died from the disease since it was first identified more than 20 years ago.

Pabst, an ardent museum supporter and philanthropist, supports organizations through his Johnson and Pabst LGBT Humanity Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation that have a strong LGBT focus. He has also supported the display of the AIDS Quilts at MAM in 2010 and the Isaac Julien exhibit, currently on view at MAM. He was named the Philanthropist of the Year by the ARCW in 2010.

About Mary Louise Schumacher

Mary Louise Schumacher is the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic. She writes about culture, design, the urban landscape and Milwaukee's creative community. Art City is her award-winning cultural page and a community of more than 20 contributing writers and artists. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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